E Update on Post Office Delivery
CITY OF
CHANHASSEN
7700 Market Boulevard
PO Box 147
Chanhassen, MN 55317
Administration
Phone: 952227.1100
Fax 952227.1110
Building Inspections
Phone 952227.1180
Fax: 952227.1190
Engineering
Phone 952227.1160
Fax 952227.1170
Finance
Phone 952227.1140
Fax 952.227.1110
Park & Recreation
Phone 952.227.1120
Fax 952227.1110
Recreation Center
2310 Coulter Boulevard
Phone: 952.227.1400
Fax 952227.1404
Planning &
Natural Resources
Phone 952227.1130
Fax 952227.1110
Public Works
1591 Park Road
Phone 952227.1300
Fax: 952227.1310
Senior Center
Phone: 952227.1125
Fax 952227.1110
Web Site
WNW. ci .chanhassen. mn. us
E
-
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Todd Gerhardt, City Manager
FROM:
Justin Miller, Assistant City Managery^-
October 3, 2005 ~
DATE:
RE:
Postal Delivery Update
BACKGROUND
Earlier this year, staff presented information to the city council regarding postal delivery
issues in the City of Chanhassen. This report serves as an update on these issues since
our last meeting.
Downtown Delivery
In discussions with the local postmaster and the Chamber of Commerce, the post office
has agreed to deliver mail to cluster box units for downtown businesses. This will allow
businesses to have a physical address (such as 123 Market Blvd., Suite ABC) or
maintain their post office box. Staff also determined, in consultation with the post
office, that free boxes are supposed to be provided to downtown businesses. However,
only small boxes are provided for free, and if a business wants a larger box, they must
pay the rental fee.
After meeting with representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, Representative
John Kline also pressed the issue post office officials in Washington, D.C. Attached to
this letter is a response from the Government Relations manager of the United States
Post Office explaining why door-to-door delivery is not an option in downtown
Chanhassen. Also attached is a copy of a Chanhassen Villager article which quotes Rep.
Kline's reaction to this letter.
Zip Code Deliverv Issues
Another issue discussed has been the return of mail with mismatched city and zip code
information. As discussed earlier, the mail sorting process has become more and more
automated, and much of the mail destined for Chanhassen is actually sorted in
Minneapolis. Mail that has mismatched cities and zip codes is often returned as
undeliverable even before it arrives at the Chanhassen branch. Unfortunately, according
to the post office there is not an easy solution to this problem. Their software cannot
simply be adjusted to allow for incorrect zip codes and cities.
However, one way to look at the issue is as if Chanhassen were a larger city, such as
Minneapolis. In larger cities, there are numerous zip codes for same-city addresses. If a
person were to mail a letter to a Minneapolis address and put the wrong zip code, it
would most likely be returned even if it had the correct city. Likewise, if a Chanhassen
resident technically has an Excelsior address, a letter addressed to Chanhassen, 55331
would be delivered. It is the zip code-street relationship that determines what it
deliverable, not the zip code-city relationship.
The City of Chanhassen · A growing community with clean lakes, quality schools, a charming downtown, thriving businesses, winding trails, and beautiful parks A great place to live, work, and play.
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
~ UNITED STA,TES
POSTJJL SERVICE
August 18,2005
The Honorable John Kline
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515-2306
Dear Congressman Kline:
~ -
This responds to your July 18 letter to Postmaster General John E. Potter on behalf of local
business customers in Chanhassen, regarding mail delivery service.
Thank you for your continued interest in this matter. As you know, Ms. Annie Kennedy of my
staff and Ms. Cathy Perron, Operations Specialist, Rural Delivery, met with Colin Haley of your
staff on May 26 to discuss the options available for mail delivery to the downtown businesses in
Chanhassen. Specifically, they explained that the Postal Service provides delivery to the
community of Chanhassen through rural delivery service. Residents and businesses located
within one-quarter mile of the Post Office may erect a box on the line of travel of a carrier, if
available, and receive delivery service. Otherwise these customers receive delivery through no
fee Post Office Box service. Consequently, we cannot grant the request to provide delivery
directly to the door of these individual businesses, which are located within one-quarter mile of
the Chanhassen Post Office.
In cases such as this, where carrier delivery is not available, customers are entitled to no fee Post
Office Box or general delivery service, which the Chanhassen customers have been receiving for
many years. However, in an effort to accommodate their request to the greatest extent possible,
the Postal Service has offered to provide these businesses with mail delivery to cluster box units;
which will eliminate the need for them to make a daily trip to the Post Office to retrieve mail. The
cluster box units, which would be installed as determined by the Postmaster as close as possible
to the current line of travel, feature separate, key-locked mailbox compartments for each
business. They also include parcel lockers that would allow for the delivery of larger items.
Furthermore, for items requiring a signature or which are too large to fit into the unit, the carrier
will provide delivery directly to the business. A list of vendors for cluster box units is attached
along with the requirements for securing the units. All cost will be incurred by the City of
Chanhassen or the individual customer.
If the businesses are interested in pursuing this offer, they should contact Postmaster Douglas
Lingen at (952) 974-5297. It is important to realize, however, that if this offer is accepted and
centralized delivery is subsequently provided, the businesses will no longer be entitled to receive
no fee Post Office Box service. They may retain their current Post Office Boxes if they wish,
but they will be subject to the established fees. In addition, if this mode of delivery is extended
to these businesses, the customers will be responsible for ensuring that their mail is properly
addressed and correspondents are- notified accordingly. The local Post Office will assist these
businesses with this transition.
In closing, I would like to attempt to dispel a misconception about the term "rural delivery service"
that occasionally arises. Please know that there are many sizable communities, like
Chanhassen, that receive rural delivery service. The type of delivery service provided, to a great
475 L'ENFANT PlAZA SW
WASHINGTON DC 20260-3500
WWW.USPS.COM
extent, results from the way the area developed. The Postal Service institutes the type of delivery
that is most efficient and effective for specific areas.
I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of assistance in other postal
matters.
Sincerely,
(signed)
Sheila T. Meyers
Manager, Government Relations
Enclosure
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, · ',' .a1' ..'etvery
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to rema4D
" uncl13lt8edi
Postmastet..Generql: ~;(Jni,ce
wpn't'grantcityd~liv.~~ini,Chan
BrP~vid Jan~~~'\L;
S;rrJ:~~~~;>f'i'i~~{+I\;." .... . ,
Mairde1ive~fir,.Cbatihas~en. for. no~
will remamunchahged:' , '. .'. ".... ....... .
AJ~ttersentfrqrnthe;PO$tnl~t~~;Gen"
el"aJ.~sOt;fJ.Be.to J]:S::RePi..Johh.l{Jjne'.l>..office
recriirilllendedagainstdoordellvery to
Ch<it1lla$senbusin~$ with.. .. er
mil.e;Of~:,tli ':il?l:J~ti~" " . ng
. gras$ trol.'tt' . .
Iii: ,"',
Charit '
merriberJ'lfu.H
visite(lth~~~VilOC~
pgblican:$WaShiIi' ....... ....
','D.C:(jfftde;~it~:a:,pe' "f.;d
.' ti~m;frOl1lS~~llB~s'~jJ{:'i
busiiqess: owners 'a~k:;\':;
~~~p::~hange the cityiS'':
"rg:r~qelivery"desig-
. natiQ;ll;Whichdo,esn't
proVide door deUveryto .,.
'addresses, within a quar- Rep. Jo~n
t~rnii1e. . . . . ~lJne
. ',Kline thel1wrote a letter to
'oehet;il.~()hnE.Potter in Juli'
officetQ look intochangi1igth~de
to ~'Citydelivenr." . . ..' ......
~otter:.s office respond~~:,~t~, in by
mail , ., ''''i';f',,''\;' :;""
:)
A~C(jrdiP.:g,~o~e'~ett~n
3.5~i~~m'~g;,' ".
tl1~lineofa;:a~~
officebQi ".
9,f(i~ji',' . .......... .'
~ilu~str .. .' '. '. ".' " ...... 'j~l'Y diiectly ". ...e
qoor.oftheSeifi<ij'\l-itll,flll bu$wesses. wl'lic;h
~lQ<;~~~cl\V~~,(I~~~arter mileo( the
Qha11hassenPost QtIi.ce/' the Jetter said,
'''I w.as. s,orrytoget.tl1at.:--tJ:)a.tJetter,"
,:KUite said;~'lwashopmgto'gdWith adi-
>~,,/~,.qe1iveprseMce.: . . ..... .' ....... .'
,)y">"MyaVcerlqeS for djrect help ~;as I see
',.'.;We.m; teltlpprarilY.Qlosed/' .;~:3,>
/':>,;::f\lthiS;point.1\1iri~$aiqhew. "9Il~t be
',"'~J?ie:!owriteJ~~hltioti:tQP~.a.P. '.' '. '~;des"
::'rgp,~gQp.atthi$.on~postofficeili 'as-
" ~fln;:' because if passed; it would tea
, badp~edent:' '. . . ...... ..;'."","
I..... .,"ItiS.;b!ghly,unlil{elyfor'~e,toc . 'leg~
i<1:'iisl-a~on,tp'getdeliverYin,Chai)hass ". ..' he
,,' sa}d."Thenothercongress.peopleWduld
ask 'Why can't I'get thiS for somewhere in
Arkansas?"', '
. . Kline added to~4ange the' delivery sys-
te:ti1.llationwi9.e:W~~d comeatanenO'r~
i. mo~~st;,so~etl;t~g;he said wouldn'tbe
1 PQssib~~"",,<,:,~,,",":"',<,,_,:::-'::;.'i';;_<"',: ,'.,..-::,,:,:' .., i, .
., Justfu~iller;;:~,~ststantcity manager.
said it's not neeessarily a done deal.
. "We have to talk'withthe.chamber, and
see if they:want door to door [delivery] or
fully investigate the clUSter box option."
he said. ' .
Theletter said if . pusinesses opted to
in~t~chtster bO~e.Sl\~itl1e.rJh~city of
ChatihasseRor busine$s ownerswouldbave
to:pay fot the1l1.a,ttd ipjdoing s9~W9Ulijfor-
feittheirfree.p~stofficebQx." ..' .' '. .'
, BOththeelWnberan,(l'~hannasseaCity
C()11p.cU1l1;ad,e, tlie,.ppspu d,~livery issu~ a
. priority' for 200.5: Liri<Ia;Waitonii'exeCutive
director ()ftheCl1ap1~r,,~~db,()~(:tmem~
bers/are'11leeting.Morifulyito'discus~' the
nextstep,Millersai<t the. City Cotulcil will
. . beuPWited,on thelssue durmgitsnext'work
session sc4ed.uled Sept..26;
" "
David Jansen can be reached at
djansen@Swpub;com.